


The One with Joseph

by Belaluxe, LauIsVeryCold



Series: FRIENDS AU [2]
Category: The Alienist (TV), The Alienist - Caleb Carr
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Everyone is Queer, Friends AU, I love them so much, Joseph is finally here!, Stevie has a "great" idea, autistic Lucius, the Isaacson brothers keep bickering
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-11
Updated: 2018-09-11
Packaged: 2019-07-11 02:46:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15963050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Belaluxe/pseuds/Belaluxe, https://archiveofourown.org/users/LauIsVeryCold/pseuds/LauIsVeryCold
Summary: Joseph visits his dad in New York.





	The One with Joseph

“Children? Never. I’d rather have a dog than a baby”, Sara tells. She has her long blonde hair loose for once and the waves fall around her pretty face.  
Lucius inquires. “Why not? Children are great if you ask me. I’d love to be a dad someday.”  
“Daddy?” a voice at the door asks. A young boy with curly brown hair walks in.  
“Do I look like-”, Stevie mutters with a laugh.  
John stands up. “Angel, I’m so glad you’re here.” He walks to the boy and crouches down to give him a hug. “Do you want me to introduce you to everyone?” he asks his son quietly so the others can’t hear him.  
Joseph nods.  
John smiles at him and stands up. “Everyone, this is my son Joseph. Joseph, this is everyone.”   
Everyone introduces themselves while Joseph stands awkwardly next to John. He’ll have to meet Laszlo and Cyrus later.  
“I didn’t know you have children”, Marcus points out.  
“Child”, John corrects. “Joseph is my only.”  
“How old are you?” Stevie asks.  
“12”, he answers. “And you?”  
“17. Shouldn’t you be at school right now?”  
“I could ask you the same question.”  
“I dropped out. I doubt you have the same excuse.”  
“My mum said I don’t have to go to school today because moving can be stressful”, Joseph answers.  
“John, I had no idea you were married”, Sara says. She looks at him curiously.  
“I’m… not. Er, Mary? Can you bring me a hot chocolate for Joseph, please?”  
“One hot chocolate coming right away”, Mary says as cheerfully as possible to break the tension.

Marcus, Lucius, Stevie, John and Joseph are the only ones left of the group in the coffeehouse. Mary’s shift has ended and she and Sara left to go to the movies together.  
“Would you guys mind helping me put together some furniture tomorrow?” John looks at the two brothers.  
“Tomorrow is Saturday, we’re not allowed to work”, Marcus says with a laugh.  
Lucius elbows his brother. “We’d love to but we really do have three services tomorrow. We’ll be at the synagogue pretty much all day.”  
“Shame, what about tonight then?”  
Marcus takes a selfie. Today he’s wearing a beanie for God’s sake. If that guy gets any more hipster he’ll actually become an unicorn.  
“I’m free now and I know Marcus is too.” Lucius stuffs two gummy bears in his mouth. He offers Joseph some but the boy politely declines.  
“Perfect!” John leans over to his son. “Would you mind that, Joseph?”  
Joseph shakes his head, but before he can speak Stevie comes up with an idea. “Why don’t I watch him while you three do the hard work?” he suggests.  
“‘Watch me? I’m not a child anymore!”, Joseph says offendedly.  
“My sincerest apologies”, Stevie amends. “We can play video games if you want? Or watch TV?”  
John looks at his son. “Would you like that?”  
“Yes.” Joseph nods eagerly.  
John shoots Stevie a warning look. “No violent games, nothing 18+ and, for God’s sake, don’t get my son into trouble.”  
“Sir, yes, sir”, Stevie laughs. He grabs Joseph’s wrist. “Come on, I’ll show you all around.”  
Joseph runs after Stevie, trying to catch up with the older boy's spaced steps, while eying everything curiously.  
John looks at the Isaacsons. “Should I be worried?”  
“Not at all”, Lucius says as Marcus simultaneously replies with: “Probably.”  
“Thank you, guys, very reassuring.”

“I say we watch Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again”, Mary suggests.  
“What’s wrong with Ocean’s 8?” Sara straightens her leather jacket.  
“I’m not into that kind of movies.”  
A mischievous grin crosses Sara’s face. “The kind with lots of hot women?”  
Mary blushes. “The kind with violence and crime!”, she says defensively.  
Sara nudges her friend. “I was only teasing you. Come on, let’s go see Mamma Mia.”

“Marcus, stop taking selfies and give us a hand!” Lucius shouts at his brother.   
“Fine, fine, you don’t know what you’re doing anyways. Give me that screw and hold this.” Marcus effortlessly puts together the closet that John and Lucius had been unsuccessfully working on for at least half an hour.   
With a tired sigh, John plumps down on his bed. “Maybe it’s time we take a break.”  
“Good idea”, Lucius agrees, consciously forcing his hands down - he usually holds them up to his chest, a gesture called 'raptor hands' by The Autistic Community. It’s the most comfortable and natural position for him, but he tries to hide it whenever he is in public or around new people. Wouldn’t want to scare John off this early in their friendship.  
“Do you want coffee?”, John offers while standing up. He stretches to crack his back. God, he’s getting old.  
“Do you have tea?” Lucius asks.  
“I’ll see what I can do for you. Marcus?”  
“Coffee is fine, thanks.”  
John walks to the kitchen.   
“Why are you being so obnoxious?”, Lucius asks in Yiddish. He doesn’t want John to overhear their conversation.  
“What are you talking about? You’re the one who keeps nagging”, Marcus retorts in their first language.  
“I’m only complaining because you refuse to help. What is up with you today?”  
“Nothing, I’m fine. Listen-”  
“Do either of you want sugar?” John calls from the kitchen.  
“One, please”, Marcus answers.  
“No, thank you”, says Lucius. He turns to Marcus again again. “What were you going to say?”  
John enters the room with the mugs.  
“Nevermind, just drop it, will you?” Marcus snaps in Yiddish.  
John looks from one brother to the other. “Is there something going on?”  
“No, not at all. Everything is fine”, Marcus lies. He puts on his most adorable smile.  
John hands them their drinks and sits down next to Lucius on the bed.   
Marcus leans against the closet, takes a sip of the warm coffee and eyes his friend subtly. John is a very handsome man; with his short dark hair, lively grey eyes, sculpted jawline... “Can I ask you a question?” Marcus asks. He ignores Lucius’ warning look.  
“Shoot”, John answers.  
“Why do you have multiple boxes filled with suits?”

Stevie and Joseph sneak into Mary’s room. It’s a small room replete with girly things like old books and absurd amounts of blankets. There’s a bouquet of flowers in a vase sitting on her dresser.   
Stevie opens random drawers while Joseph watches the door of the apartment. They're planning to make all of the soap bars unusable by covering them with clear nail polish.  
The door handle twists.  
Joseph closes the door to Mary’s room as quickly as he can and turns to Stevie.  
The older boy gives him a questioning look. Joseph holds his finger against his mouth to let Stevie know not to speak.  
There are familiar voices coming from the living room. Mary and Sara. Joseph lays his ear against the wooden door and Stevie looks through the keyhole.  
“Why won’t you tell us where you live?” Mary asks. She sounds annoyed.  
“Why does it matter?”  
“Because-because.. I don’t know! It’s just weird not knowing where you go to every night.”  
“It’s none of your business where I stay the night”, Sara answers. Stevie can hear the smirk in her voice.  
Mary sighs. “Let’s start cooking dinner, I bet the boys are hungry after working all day.”  
“Laszlo is working on a case with Theodore, I heard. Poor Laszlo. Theodore is nice and all, but dear God, he’s so chaotic.”  
“Let’s hope they will figure out how to work together. It’s chilly in here, isn’t it? Let me grab a shawl from my room.” The boys hear footsteps approaching the door.  
Stevie grabs Joseph by the arm and tries to pull him under the bed only to find out that that’s where Mary keeps boxes of junk. There’s no way they’ll both fit in there. Stevie pushes Joseph between the boxes and jumps on the bed. He manages to lay down just before the door opens.  
“Stevie?”  
“Good afternoon, Mary. How are you on this fine day?”  
“What are you doing in my bed?”  
He swallows. “Taking a nap.”  
“In...my bed?”  
“Obviously. Now, if you will excuse me, I’d like to finish my nap in peace.”  
“Stevie Matt Taggert, get out of my room right now! And where is Joseph?”  
Stevie jumps up and runs out of the room. “He’s at the coffee house”, Stevie lies. “Gotta scoot!”  
Sara waves Stevie goodbye with a confused look on her face.  
Out in the hallway Stevie comes to a stop.  
“Shit”, he mutters to himself. How is he going to get Joseph out of this mess?  
The balcony!  
There’s a small balcony outside the living room that ends just before Mary’s room. If they’re careful, Joseph might just be able to climb through the window onto the balcony.  
Stevie reenters the apartment with newfound confidence.   
“What are you doing here? I thought you went home?” Mary asks.  
“Can I stay here for dinner?”  
“Of course bu-”  
“Great, if you need me, I’ll be on the balcony. Don’t let the doc know I’m smoking there!” Stevie pulls the curtains closed and steps outside into the cold winter air. He walks to the other side of the platform and leans over the balustrade. He knocks on the window. “Joseph! It’s me!” he whispers.  
The window opens. “You left me alone!” says Joseph. He looks angry and hurt.  
“I know, I’m sorry, but I’m here now. Open the window further”, Stevie orders.  
Josep does as he’s told.  
With Stevie’s help the younger boy manages to climb onto the windowsill, through the window and onto the balcony.   
Stevie gives him a high-five. “Good job, kiddo. You might make a good petty thief one day.”  
“I don’t want to become a thief!”, Joseph says offendedly.  
“No one does”, Stevie answers. “But the problem right now is how are we going to get you off this balcony without being seen”.  
“Why can’t we just enter the apartment?”  
“Mary and Sara are there, they can’t see you.” Stevie thinks for a moment. “We can climb down the balcony and jump into those bushes. What do you think?”  
Joseph looks at his friend in shock. “Nah-ah. No way. I’m not jumping down from here. Heaven’s no.”  
“Do you have any better ideas then?”  
Joseph doesn’t answer. Stevie is right, it’s the only way.  
“Mary and Sara know I’m up here so I can’t go down with you, but when you reach the ground safely stay where you are and I’ll come as quick as I can”, Stevie promises.  
Joseph grabs Stevie’s arm. “No! I don’t want to do this alone. You go first.”  
Stevie looks around and ponders. “Fine, but only because I promised to be a good babysitter.” He swings his legs over the balustrade and lowers himself until he’s hanging from his fingertips. He looks down. The balcony seems awfully high from here. He closes his eyes and lets go. For a second he’s falling, but before he even has the time to open his eyes, his body hits the rough surface of the plants beneath him. Stevie looks up at Joseph. “Come on, it’s completely safe. Just do what I did.”  
“If you say so”, Joseph says and he jumps.

They’re all sitting around the coffee table with their plates on their respective laps. Cyrus, Mary and Laszlo share a sofa; Sara has taken over the armchair, leaving John, Marcus and Lucius to resort to the dining table chairs. Stevie and Joseph sit comfortably over the pillows on the floor.  
“What did you do today”, John asks the two young boys.  
Stevie and Joseph share a mischievous look before simultaneously saying: “Not much.”

The end (for now)


End file.
